The number of GCSE grades changed at marking review this year has fallen by 23 per cent, with 16,749 fewer changes than in 2017.
This year, 57,100 GCSE grades were changed compared with 73,840 last year, meaning that the proportion of grades which were changed fell from 1.4 per cent to 1.1 per cent.
The proportion of GCSE grades challenged by schools also fell slightly, from 5.9 per cent in 2017 to 5.5 per cent this year.
At the same time, the proportion of A-level grades which were successfully challenged has crept up.
Where GCSE grade changes did occur this year, these were “more consistent with the appropriate application of our rules regarding reviews of marking and reviews of moderation” which were introduced two years ago, Ofqual said.
However, although the number of A-level grades changed fell from 14,665 to 12,140, there was actually a slight increase in the proportion of all grades which were changed compared with last year, from 1 per cent in 2017 to 1.2 per cent.
At the same time, the proportion of A-level grades that were challenged dropped slightly, to from almost 22 per cent to 21 per cent.
For GCSEs, one in five of all grades challenged were changed, down from almost a quarter (24 per cent) last year.
The subjects with the highest proportion of challenges were in performing or expressive arts, PE, health and social care and music.
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